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TUV300 vs Dzire Comparison

Mahindra TUV300 vs Maruti-Suzuki Swift Dzire Comparison

Verdict: Dzire is better than TUV300Pricing & Features: The VDi is by far the most popular variant of the Dzire amongst its customers, which retails for 6.95 Lakh, Ex-showroom, Delhi. For just 70k more retails the T6 variant of the freshly launched Mahindra TUV300 with similar features as that of the Dzire VDi and a sticker price of 7.63 Lakh rupees, Ex-showroom, Delhi. With this fantastic pricing, Mahindra really has an opportunity to entice sub 4-metre sedan customers in our country.Common Features: ABS, AC, Power Steering, Power Windows, Central Locking, Keyless Entry, Stereo: FM, USB, Aux + 4 SpeakersExtra Features in Dzire: Fuel Computer, Fog Lamps, Electrically Adjustable & Electrically Folding MirrorsExtra Features in TUV300: Bluetooth, Rear Defogger

Performance & Drivability:
The TUV300 has excellent drivability. It has hardly any turbo lag to speak of and has linear shove anywhere above 1100 rpm. In contrast the Dzire has immense turbo-lag anywhere below 2000 rpm and makes it an absolute nuisance to drive around town, compared to the TUV300. But as the speeds rise, the TUV300 runs out of breath quite quickly. Even it's mid-range feels a bit weak while overtaking on the highways, unlike the Dzire which in comparison is an absolute joy to overtake heavy vehicles on the highway. It all boils down to the portly kerb weight of the TUV300 which is a hefty 1590 kg. Hence, in spite of decent power of 85PS and an even better torque output of 230 Nm from its 1.5 litre engine, it struggles to propel the porky TUV300 forward with any vigour. Even the refinement of the Dzire is significantly better than the TUV300, especially at high revs.Power (PS@rpm): TUV300 – 85@3750, Dzire – 75@4000Torque (Nm@rpm): TUV300 - 230@1500-2250, Dzire – 190@2000Kerb Weight (kg): TUV300 – 1590, Dzire – 1055Power to Weight Ratio (PS/ton):TUV300 – 54,Dzire – 71Torque to Weight Ratio (Nm/ton):TUV300 – 145,Dzire – 180

Fuel Efficiency: The TUV300 has an ARAI certified mileage of 18.49 kmpl which is a whopping 8.1 kmpl less than Dzire’s fuel efficiency of 26.6 kmpl. In our real world tests the Dzire was consistently 5 to 7 kmpl more efficient than the TUV300. Even the TUV300 AMT has an ARAI mileage of 18.49 kmpl, which was no less efficient than the manual geared TUV in our back-to-back tests. The Dzire does not yet come with a diesel automatic offering.

Space & Comfort: The Dzire is no match for the sheer volumes of space available inside the TUV300. Both cars have big supportive front seats, but that is where the similarities end. TUV300 second row is more or less perfect it has more than enough shoulder room for 3 full-size adults, with space left over for a fourth if need be, not to forget the almost flat transmission tunnel aiding the comfort of the middle passenger even further. The Dzire's rear seat on the other hand isn't even comfortable for 2 passengers, due to extremely limited knee room and leg-room and a third passenger is best if avoided altogether. And then there are the sideways facing third row seats of the TUV300, which surprisingly are spacious enough for two adults. In terms of boot-space too, the TUV300 has an advantage of around 50 litres over the 350 litre boot of the Dzire, of course provided that the rearmost seats are left unoccupied. However, in terms of fit and finish the TUV300 is still a step behind the Japanese precision with which the Dzire is manufactured.

Off-road ability, Ride Quality & Handling: The TUV300 is far better suited to Indian road conditions than the Dzire. The Dzire is sprung slightly on the stiffer side, making it highly uncomfortable over broken surfaces in stark contrast to the TUV300, which feels like it can gobble up all that our worst road contractors can throw at it, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, the TUV300 does fall short in terms of it's cornering abilities, with a tendency to roll and understeer made worse by a vague steering setup and brakes that are devoid of any feel. The Dzire on the other hand responds enthusiastically to any inputs made with it's precise but weightless electrically assisted power steering. In fact the Dzire is quite enthusiastic at negotiating the bends and quite fun to pilot around the ghats. Even stability at high speeds as well as under heavy braking is no match for the Dzire.

Reliability and After Sales Service: Mahindra still has a long long way to go to even come close to the levels of product reliability and after sales service provided by the legendary Maruti-Suzuki. In fact buying a newly launched product from Mahindra is a bit of a risk going by their track record so far. Even the service support discipline followed at a Maruti service centre is something that Mahindra can still learn a lot from. This is bound to have repercussions of the resale value of the two cars here in a way that after an ownership of 5 to 7 years, both cars will fetch identical resale price, which means the TUV300 will burn through the extra 70,000 Rs. that you spend on it over a Dzire by the way of depreciation.